Business Topics

'Abenomics' turns Japan into global investor target

May 18, 2013

'Abenomics' turns Japan into global investor target

by Shamim Adam

Investors are more confident in a Japanese leader than any time since at least September 2010, with optimism about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policies exceeding that for counterparts in the U.S., Europe and China. The number of respondents who are more optimistic than pessimistic ...

Economy grew at 3.5% pace in last quarter

May 17, 2013

Economy grew at 3.5% pace in last quarter

The economy enjoys a stronger than expected recovery, growing at a 3.5 percent annual pace as the government stepped up public works spending and eased credit to encourage investment.

Tariff elimination the focus of new TPP talks

May 17, 2013

Tariff elimination the focus of new TPP talks

The 11 countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations began their 17th round of talks in Lima on Wednesday with the focus on whether exceptions should be made to the general rule of tariff elimination. Even though Japan gained the unanimous backing of ...

2,000 attend Africa resources confab

May 17, 2013

2,000 attend Africa resources confab

A two-day meeting to discuss how to utilize African natural resources started in Tokyo on Thursday, with around 2,000 people, including natural resources ministers from 15 African nations, attending. At the Japan Sustainable Mining, Investment and Technology Business Forum, or J-SUMIT, the African ministers ...

May 17, 2013

New employment for disabled hits record high in 2012

The number of people with disabilities who found work through public job-placement offices hit a record high for the third consecutive year in fiscal 2012 that ended in March, according to the latest government data. The figure was up 15.1 percent from the previous ...

May 16, 2013

Passage of 2013 budget to pave way for bonds

by Ayako Mie

The Diet on Wednesday approved the ¥92 trillion budget for fiscal 2013 to support the immediate issuance of debt-covering government bonds. The Upper House rejected the budget bill earlier in the day as lawmakers voted along party lines. The ruling coalition lacks a clear ...

EU-U.S. trade deal faces raft of challenges

| May 15, 2013

EU-U.S. trade deal faces raft of challenges

Supporters of a U.S.-European free-trade deal have begun damping expectations about its immediate benefits amid a series of emerging disputes that could complicate the creation of the world’s largest trade zone. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron met Monday and affirmed ...

May 15, 2013

Wholesale prices flat on back of weakening yen

Wholesale prices were unchanged in April from a year earlier following 12 straight months of decline, the Bank of Japan said Tuesday. Prices of steel as well as information and communications equipment continued to drop, but increases for materials such as lumber as well ...

May 13, 2013

Abe plans to add capital investment target to growth strategy

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will tout a rare growth plan next week that sets a numerical target for private capital investment over the next three years. While Abe’s team has been steadily issuing grand announcements, it hasn’t put much economic legislation on the table ...